Author: athena

Zero to Five Pathfinders: Four Eyes Optometry Podcast

NextGenOD, PathFinders

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NewOptometrist.ca puts the spotlight on Zero to Five Pathfinders

Four Eyes Optometry Podcast Founders

PathFinder Spotlight:

Four Eyes Optometry Podcast  

Founders

  • Dr. Alex Coon, Wasilla, Alaska, US
  • Dr. Amrit Bilkhu, Brampton, Ontario
  • Dr. Deepon Kar, Lethbridge, Alberta
  • Dr. Ravinder Randhawa, Vaughn, Ontario

 

Four enterprising female ODs from the Illinois College of Optometry class of 2019 started the “Four Eyes Optometry” podcast, combining their talents and cross-border interests to educate, enlighten and entertain ODs on both sides of the border.

The Four Eyes Optometry founders:

  • Dr. Alex Coon, Wasilla, Alaska, US
  • Dr. Amrit Bilkhu, Brampton, Ontario
  • Dr. Deepon Kar, Lethbridge, Alberta
  • Dr. Ravinder Randhawa, Vaughn, Ontario

…  combined their answers to questions posed by NewOptometrist.ca Editor Dr. Jaclyn Chang.

After reading their responses below, make sure you sign up to their podcasts. You can view the entire list of podcasts from Four Eyes Optometry here:  See the list (the ladies have been busy!)

Jaclyn: Are there any resources that you can provide for new graduates that you found helpful?

Four Eyes Optometry: Besides the Four Eyes Optometry podcast, we all found that joining our provincial and state associations tremendously helped with information about licensing, job searches, and the overall process of transitioning from a student to an independent optometrist.

Other valuable resources we all use on a regular basis to keep up to date with what is occurring in the eyecare industry are various digital publications such as, Eyes on Eyecare, Modern Optometry, Review of Optometry, and 20/20 Glance.

Jaclyn: Can you provide job search/interview/contract advice?

Four Eyes Optometry: Since all of us have been working full time in various practice modalities for the last couple of years, our most important piece of advice is to not always accept the job that pays the most.

You may be offered a position where the compensation is great, but you are questioning yourself about the hours, equipment available, staff, and the number of patients that need to be seen.

These feelings of uncertainty will not eventually disappear as you practice, they will often return until you decide to address them.

Money will seem like the priority when you first graduate because of those pesky student loans that need to be paid off, but from our experiences, money is definitely not everything when it comes to avoiding burnout and finding an appropriate work-life balance.

Jaclyn: Describe your first day of work.

Four Eyes Optometry: We have all talked about similar anxious experiences from our first day of practicing as an independent optometrist. Most of us were working as solo practitioners and were very aware that we did not have an extra set of eyes to help with diagnosis, treatment and management if we were ever unsure of the clinical situation.

The first day, and even the first week, was very nerve wracking for all of us, especially since there is no Attending to double check your work and guide your clinical decisions. Even during those initial anxious moments practicing on our own, we would constantly text each other in our group chat hoping one of us would have the correct answer, and what we all eventually came to realize is that it is absolutely okay if you do not have the immediate answers, you can always follow up with patients at a later time and systematically plan your approach to their care.

Jaclyn: What advice would you give a new grad today?

Four Eyes Optometry: If you or a group of your friends have been thinking about creating something, starting a project, or reinventing a product that is already out there, whether or not it has to do with the eye care industry or not, without a doubt, just start it!

The most difficult step is to start, and then the second most difficult step is to be consistent with your efforts towards your creative project.

Even if you do not know all the steps to get to the result you want, you will figure out everything as you trudge along. This is exactly how we started the Four Eyes Optometry podcast. We began not knowing everything that could potentially go wrong, and when they did, which was often, we figured it out together and learned a great deal from the process.

Jaclyn: What is your definition of success or what habits make you a successful person?

Four Eyes Optometry: In our opinion, any person with a goal in which they are consistently putting in those tough and long hours towards achieving it every single day, is already a successful person.

It really is all about the process. Being able to look back on those rough experiences and hard lessons during the journey will always make reaching the destination so much more rewarding.

Jaclyn: What is your most effective marketing tool/platform?

Four Eyes Optometry: “Do it for the gram!” All jokes aside, Instagram has been our podcast’s platform of choice because of the multitude of opportunities to network with so many of the amazing and different eye care professionals we have connected with in the past and plan to connect with in the future.

Jaclyn: What was the last time you laughed?

Four Eyes Optometry: We always have belly aching laughs when we are together recording our weekly podcast episodes; we definitely do not take ourselves too seriously. Our regular Happy Hour podcast episodes definitely show off our goofy personalities!

Jaclyn: What is your favorite TV show / Netflix series?

Four Eyes Optometry:  All of us have lived with one another at different points of time during our optometry school days. The TV genre that always excitingly brought us together in the living room, along with various snacks in hand, was tacky reality TV. These TV shows included everything from Netflix’s bakeoff challenges to MTV’s Floribama Shore. Quite a range, we are aware. Even though we do not have much time to watch these entertaining TV series now, we once did schedule time to live vicariously through these so-called TV characters on a regular basis, and shamelessly loved every moment of it!

Sign up to their podcasts.

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FYI Acquires First Medical Aesthetics Clinic in Ontario

Practice, Products | Services | Industry News

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Kingston Laser Clinic

Kingston Laser Cosmetic Clinic (“Kingston Laser”)  is the latest cosmetic clinic to join FYidoctors expanding network of aesthetics clinics in Canada.  The acquisition marks FYidoctors’ first aesthetic medicine clinic in the Province of Ontario.  11 previous aesthetics acquisitions have been announced by the company, all of which were located in Western Canada.

Kingston Laser Cosmetic Clinic provides  non-surgical rejuvenation, skin care, and aesthetic treatments in the area.  Drs. Kerri Hoffman and Diane MacGillis, both Medical Doctors specializing in Laser & Cosmetic Medicine, founded the clinic in 1998.    along with a team of professionals a team of dedicated professionals who are committed to providing exceptional care and personalized service to the clinic’s patients.

“We’re excited about our new partnership with FYidoctors, who share the same values and standards of excellence as Kingston Laser,” shares Dr. Hoffman. “While this is an opportunity for growth, we’re also connecting with leading aesthetic medicine clinics from across the country and integrating with one of Canada’s most trusted, doctor-led, organizations. We are enthused to enhance the quality of care we are able to provide to our patients.”

“As the aesthetic medicine industry in Canada continues to experience exponential growth, we are excited to bring doctor-led treatments into communities across the nation,” said Dr. Alan Ulsifer, CEO and Chairman of FYidoctors.

Dr. MacGillis received both her undergraduate Degree in Life Sciences and Medical Degree from Queen’s University in Kingston and has since received extensive training and certifications in laser and cosmetic medicine. Dr. Hoffman completed her undergraduate Degree in Life Sciences at Queen’s University and her Medical Degree at the University of Ottawa.

Kingston Laser is an active supporter of non-profits and community-led groups which will continue through FYidoctors’ own Enhancing Life Foundation. Past recipients over the last two decades include local sports organizations and the United Way. Kingston Laser have also been the proud recipients of the Kingston Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year Award, and the Consumer’s Choice Award.

View the original Press release Here.

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Episode 21: Is Now a Good Time to Sell Your Practice?

Eyes Wide Open, Podcasts

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It’s been just over one year since COVID-19 interrupted life as we know it casting uncertainty on practice valuations in all health care sectors.  How has optometry held up over this period?   Jackie Joachim offers her perspective in conversation with Dr. Glen Chiasson based upon real-world experience.

 

Jackie Joachim, COO ROI Corp

About the Guest

Jackie Joachim is the Chief Operating officer for ROI Coporation. ROI specializes in assisting healthcare professionals in the Optometry, Dental and Veterinary spaces appraise and sell / transition their practices.

 

 

Episode Notes

Optometrist practice and health professional practices in general have proven to be resilient in the face of economic downturns in the past.  Jackie Joachim shares her experiences on practice valuations, transactions occuring during the pandemic and outlook with podcast host, Dr. Glen Chiasson.

Jackie offers an insightful perspective on how the pandemic effects the perspectives of sellers, buyers and, importantly  bankers, who fund the transactions.

She explains why and how practice valuations take into account the historical performance of a practice  – pandemic notwithstanding.

The key question addressed: Is now a good time to sell?

Resources

 

Dr. Glen Chiasson

Dr. Glen Chiasson

Dr. Glen Chiasson is a 1995 graduate of the University of Waterloo School of Optometry. He owns and manages two practices in Toronto. In 2009, he co-hosted a podcast produced for colleagues in eye care, the “International Optometry Podcast”. He is a moderator of the Canadian Optometry Group, an email forum for Canadian optometrists. As  a host of  “Eyes Wide Open”, Glenn  looks forward to exploring new new technologies and services for eye care professionals.

Dr. Chiasson enjoys tennis, hockey, and reading. He lives in Toronto with his wife and two sons.

Dr. Chiasson splits EWO podcast hosting duties with Roxanne Arnal.

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Asset Protection Analysis

Building Wealth, Finance|Wealth, Planning, Resources

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Roxanne Arnal, Optometrist and Certified Financial Planner© has made her article available in audio format.

Click the play button below to listen.

Dr. Roxanne Arnal, CFP®

My last article addressed your greatest asset and I introduced the concept of an asset protection portfolio. But what is an asset protection portfolio?

Essentially, it’s a plan that outlines how you will manage various risks to your assets.

For example, Professional Liability Coverage manages the risk you carry of causing real or perceived harm to your patients. In our increasingly litigious society, this coverage is vital to ensure that our livelihoods, our businesses, and our personal lives are not ruined due to a possible misjudgment along the way.

Review your Risks

Comprehensive financial planning includes a review of your potential risks and discusses the strategies to manage those risks.

  • Identify the risks that could threaten your financial security.
  • Quantify the risks.
  • Determine if there is some way to mitigate the risks through planning.
  • Transfer the remaining risks that you are unable or unwilling to assume yourself to an insurance company.

For significant life changing events, like premature death or developing a debilitating illness for example, it may be prudent to transfer as much of the financial impact as possible.

Where transfer is not done, you would ultimately assume the financial burden of unexpected, and potentially catastrophic events. This can have a significant impact on your assets – both on you as the asset generating machine, but also on the physical assets themselves.

From a health perspective, given todays ever advancing care, we often survive, what in the past, would have killed us. Both my husband and I are proof of  how advancements in health care save lives, where previously premature death was inevitable.

As a result, it is more important than ever to ensure that we don’t drain our savings in our fight for survival. Transferring risk permits us to adapt to our new situation while maintaining a manageable standard of living for us and our families.

Asset Protection Process

  1. Evaluate the impact of the risk. Consider: would the risk be of:
    • Minor consequence?: Where the potential financial loss is very low, it is likely very manageable within your overall financial situation. Think of smashing your cell phone. Annoying? Yes. Does it create a financial stress on your family? Likely not.
    • Substantial consequence?: Where you would face serious financial difficulties that would lead to a reduction in your standard of living, you will want to ensure you have reviewed risk transfer options.Your inability to work for six months after an accident is one such example.
    • Dire consequence?: Where it would result in significant financial loss that could lead to bankruptcy or the disposition of most assets, you will definitely want to transfer the risk.The everyday example we live here is the risk of malpractice.
  2. Review the probability of the risk occurring in relation to the impact it would create, and allocate premium dollars accordingly. For example, what are the odds of your house catching on fire? There were only 5,951 residential fires in all of Ontario in 2014. The odds of you developing a critical illness? 26% for a non-smoking 35 year old male before the age of 65! (You can review your own risk through the Insure Right Calculator by Manulife.)
  3. Select the appropriate asset protection strategy. There are 4 basic strategies:
    • Risk Avoidance – can you avoid the potential risk? For example, you can avoid the risk of an ice mountain climbing injury by choosing not to ice mountain climb.
    • Risk Reduction – can you reduce the probability of the risk occurring? For example, you can use your seatbelt every time you travel by vehicle.
    • Risk Transfer/Sharing – can you transfer the cost or share the cost of a risk occurrence with another party? For example, you can’t afford substantial time off work and support your family should you suffer a major injury. You may have an emergency fund equal to 3 months of expenses, but it’s highly unlikely you have sufficient savings to cover your needs until age 65. Perhaps a disability income replacement policy would be wise.
    • Risk Retention – for all risks not avoided, reduced or transferred to a third party, you ultimately retain the risk yourself and assume full responsibility for the financial impact it may have. Replace that broken phone? An inconvenience, but it won’t create financial ruin for years to come. Suffer a stroke? Well that’s a different story.

Have you analyzed your areas of risk and how you will handle them? As your personal CFO, I’m here to help you figure it out and explore the different options so you can make smart financial decisions with confidence.

Business risks? Well, that’s a topic for another day.

 

References:

Manulife Insure Right – What’s your Risk? Which references: Critical illness probability based on combined incidence rates for Cancer (“New cases for ICD-03 primary sites of cancer: 2002-2007”) and the Heart and

Stroke Foundation of Canada (“The Growing Burden of Heart Disease and Stroke in Canada, 2003”).

Fire Statistics in Canada, 2005-2014, published by Statistics Canada, September 2017

ROXANNE ARNAL,

Optometrist and Certified Financial Planner

Roxanne Arnal graduated from UW School of Optometry in 1995 and is a past-president of the Alberta Association of Optometrists (AAO) and the Canadian Association of Optometry Students (CAOS).  She subsequently built a thriving optometric practice in rural Alberta.

Roxanne took the decision in  2012 to leave optometry and become a financial planning professional.  She now focuses on providing services to Optometrists with a plan to parlay her unique expertise to help optometric practices and their families across the country meet their goals through astute financial planning and decision making.

Roxanne splits EWO podcast hosting duties with Dr. Glen Chiasson.

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Episode 20: New Look Vision Group Going Private (Again)

Eyes Wide Open, Podcasts

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By store count, Canada’s largest optical and eye care organization, the NEW LOOK VISION GROUP announced plans to take the corporation private and and alleviate the onerous burden of public company reporting. Dr. Daryan Angle, IRIS VP Business Development introduces the new investors and talks about the rational for the move with Eyes Wide Open Podcast host, Dr. Glen Chiasson.

 

About the Guest

Dr. Daryan Angle graduated from the University of Waterloo School of Optometry in 2001. He joined IRIS in 2002 as a practicing optometrist in British Columbia, and shortly thereafter became a franchise partner with IRIS. In 2006 Dr. Angle relocated to Ontario. He currently holds the title of Vice President Business Development and in that role, primarily focuses on buying, partnering and integrating optical stores and optometry practices into the IRIS network.

 

Episode Notes

With over 400 locations and five banners including IRIS, New Look, Vogue, Greiche & Scaff  and Edward Beiner (USA), the New Look Vision Group is the largest optical and eye care entity in Canada.

The New Look group recently announced the company will remove itself from the Toronto Stock Exchange and be taken private through a $50 cash per share purchase by an investor group headed by a US-based private equity firm and the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ).

Dr. Daryan Angle, representing New Look, provides insights to the pros and cons of being a public company and how New Look will benefit from the new structure.

Angle explains why the New Look President & CEO, Antoine Amiel, attributed being a publicly traded company to a “quarterly strip-tease”.

Angle introduces the new equity partners and outlines what they bring to the table. He also delves into what the buy out means for New Look brands, their Eye Care Professional partners and associates, and clients.

Angle, and Eyes Wide Open podcast host, Dr. Glen Chiasson, also discuss the ongoing consolidation of independents into corporate entities and the impact on independent optometry.

Details on the transaction and new equity partners are available from the resources links.

Resources

 

 

Dr. Glen Chiasson

Dr. Glen Chiasson

Dr. Glen Chiasson is a 1995 graduate of the University of Waterloo School of Optometry. He owns and manages two practices in Toronto. In 2009, he co-hosted a podcast produced for colleagues in eye care, the “International Optometry Podcast”. He is a moderator of the Canadian Optometry Group, an email forum for Canadian optometrists. As  a host of  “Eyes Wide Open”, Glenn  looks forward to exploring new new technologies and services for eye care professionals.

Dr. Chiasson enjoys tennis, hockey, and reading. He lives in Toronto with his wife and two sons.

Dr. Chiasson splits EWO podcast hosting duties with Roxanne Arnal.

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What’s your Greatest Asset?

Building Wealth, Finance|Wealth, Resources

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Roxanne Arnal, Optometrist and Certified Financial Planner© has made her article available in audio format.

Click the play button below to listen.

 

 

Dr. Roxanne Arnal, CFP®
Have you ever thought of it?

You’ve spent 6 or more years in post-secondary education. You may be riddled with student debt, you may have a mortgage, kids to feed, a business to run. But what truly is your greatest asset? Let’s take a look at some of the most likely contenders.

  • Your vehicle
  • Your home
  • Your income
  • Your business
  • Your investments

This seems rather timely to me as spring is when both our auto and home insurance renewals arrive. And like most of you, I complain about the steady increase in premiums and then….pay them. It got me to thinking “Am I spending my premium dollars appropriately?”

Consumer Product Extended Warranty
First off, let’s hope you didn’t select the product coverage that the sales clerk at your local electronics store tried to sell you at check out. This type of consumer insurance is a great profit builder for the corporate entity. Why? Because in most cases, you will never claim on the insurance. You will lose the receipt, forget you have it, or quite frankly never need it. In addition, as a proportion of the cost of the actual product, it’s crazy expensive. And last, but not least, would the loss of the device cause dire, or even serious, financial ruin?

Auto Insurance
Auto policies typically include liability protection. And I would never advise you to drop that critically important piece of your asset protection portfolio. But if I look at that portion alone on my current renewal, the cost runs just over 50% for $2,000,000 of coverage. The balance of my premiums provide coverage to replace my vehicle in some form or another. So I’m paying just over $500 a year to replace a vehicle valued at $38,000. Hmmm. Needless to say, this isn’t my greatest asset. (Note: my rates reflect years of clean driving, multi-policy and age discounts. We won’t discuss what my 18-year old son pays for liability alone!)

Home Insurance
Then there’s our home. Here, a very small portion of the premium goes towards liability coverage. The remaining premium, just under $3,000 covers my “stuff”. So for $3,000 a year (and growing), I have potential coverage of up $2,000,000. Again, not the best value for my money, but the loss of our home and the stuff inside it would definitely have a serious financial consequence for us.

Your Income, Your Business, Your Investments
That leaves us with your income and your investments. For ease of illustration, I’m grouping your business in your investments and trust that in all cases you have sufficient liability coverage.

Whether your greatest asset is your income or your investments is really dependent on where you are in your career. For simplicity sake, this chart shows a rough estimate of your lifetime earning potential, based on your current age, and cross referenced with your growing investment portfolio. As you inch closer to retirement, your investments grow while your anticipated lifetime active earnings taper down.

 

 

*  See assumptions below.

You Are Your Greatest Asset
Without the ability to earn an income, you wouldn’t have any of the material things we’ve spoken of here. It could become impossible to keep your business, and build your investment portfolio. Considering this, how many of your premium dollars are going toward managing the risks placed on your greatest asset – you? Without protecting what you have worked so hard to achieve – your education, your business, your wealth portfolio – what exactly are you protecting?

Asset Protection Portfolio
An asset protection portfolio involves so much more that liability protection. It is critical to ensure that you have reviewed and aligned your premium dollars and behaviour to protect what really matters. Not sure? That’s just one piece of being your personal CFO that I review with you.

Call or email today to start your review.

*   Graph assumptions:
Work from age 26 to 65, starting at $120,000 per year, remove 2020 Ontario taxation and self-employed CPP amounts. Maintain these rates into the future. In year two, contribute 18% of previous years pre-tax income to an RRSP. Apply tax credits for RRSP contributions, basic personal amount & Canada Employment amount only. Increase pre-tax salary by 3% per year. Invest 30% of annual after-tax income in monthly installments, earning 5% compounding annual rate of return.

ROXANNE ARNAL,

Optometrist and Certified Financial Planner

Roxanne Arnal graduated from UW School of Optometry in 1995 and is a past-president of the Alberta Association of Optometrists (AAO) and the Canadian Association of Optometry Students (CAOS).  She subsequently built a thriving optometric practice in rural Alberta.

Roxanne took the decision in  2012 to leave optometry and become a financial planning professional.  She now focuses on providing services to Optometrists with a plan to parlay her unique expertise to help optometric practices and their families across the country meet their goals through astute financial planning and decision making.

Roxanne splits EWO podcast hosting duties with Dr. Glen Chiasson.

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Perspectives on Myopia Control

NextGenOD, Perspectives, Products | Services | Industry News, Resources

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By Jaclyn Chang, OD

I recently had the chance to discuss how myopic control can benefit our patients with contact lens residency trained optometrist, Dr. Rosa Yang.

Here is the conversation.

Dr. Rosa Yang

Dr. Yang pursued a post-graduate residency program in Cornea and Contact Lenses at the University of Waterloo.

She is the recipient of the Sheldon Wechsler Contact Lens Residency Award from the American Academy of Optometry and was awarded First Place in Clinical Poster from the Global Specialty Lens Symposium.

Dr. Yang has particular interests in myopia control (including ortho-K), dry eye and corneal disease management.

 

Jaclyn:  What myopia control options are available?

Rosa:  There are several options including the MiYOSMART spectacle lenses by Hoya, MiSight soft contact lenses or off-label use of soft multifocals, Atropine, and ortho-K.

As a clinician, I think it is good to be aware of all the options so you can choose the most appropriate option for your patient.

Jaclyn: How do you choose one myopia control option over another for a patient? Is it very individual to that patient’s comfort level and particular case?  

Rosa: I don’t want to oversimplify, but, yes, there are selection criteria where we weigh one option over another. These include prescription, the parents’ budget, and the underlying eye condition.

A big factor is also how comfortable the patient is with handling contact lenses. Do they want to handle the contacts themselves or is it something that the parents might want to be more involved with? For the latter, ortho-K might be the better option because it’s mainly done at home at night.

For a patient who doesn’t want to wear hard contact lenses or glasses, and if the parents are hesitant about putting their kids on a medication (Atropine), soft contact lenses are the option we would be considering.

The only FDA approved soft contact lens for myopia control is MiSight, but it is limited by the fact that it is not available with astigmatism. In patients who have astigmatism, multifocal soft contact lenses can be used to implement the peripheral defocus effects.

Jaclyn: Under what circumstances might you select specifically designed spectacle lenses (like  MiYOSMART) for the patient?

Rosa: Some patients have been wearing spectacles and would like to continue wearing them. For them, it makes sense to keep them in myopia control lenses like MiYOSMART.

There are also patients who are uncomfortable pursuing contact lenses (i.e. they have trouble handling CLs, they are poor CL candidates) or the parents are uncomfortable having their kids on long-term atropine drops, then we would consider spectacles.

MiyoSmart lenses may also have larger prescription ranges than the contact lenses.

Jaclyn: When would you initiate myopia control treatment? Do you monitor until you see progression or initiate at the onset of myopia?

Rosa: Currently there is no consensus amongst clinicians, but when I see evidence of fast progression, then I initiate myopia control. Average progression is -0.50D per year, so anything above that might urge me to start myopia control; sometimes you may want to monitor a little bit more to see.

There are also clinicians that see myopia control as a preventative treatment that should be used more widely, especially considering the global myopia pandemic, so it’s a grey area.

Jaclyn: Are there certain things that we can say to our patients to help them better understand the importance and benefit of myopia control treatment? How can we help them understand the health implications associated with myopia?

Rosa: This is a very good question, because this is a topic that I discuss with every parent when we talk about myopia control. I tell them that the reason we pursue myopia control is not just the high prescription itself, it’s not just the inconvenience of having really thick glasses, it’s the ocular health implication.

“When you have a high prescription, the eyeball is usually more elongated, which means that the tissues in the eyeball get stretched out and are thinner; this predisposes them to certain ocular health complications, some of which are vision threatening. There is a higher risk of retinal detachment, maculopathy, and glaucoma.”

When I emphasize this, parents usually understand. With myopia control, it’s very important that parents understand what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, and how you’re doing it.

Jaclyn: Thanks for that – hearing the way that other doctors counsel always helps me with how I counsel my patients. Education makes such a big difference to patient care. 

Rosa: Yes, exactly, with myopia control, sometimes parents wonder why their child’s prescription still increases. That’s why with myopia control, it’s very important to have a consultation.

The management we’re doing is not to stop myopia, it’s to slow down the progression of myopia; regardless, the child is still going to progress.

Another thing to realize, for example, with ortho-K, is that some parents may think that once you wear the ortho-K lenses, that the prescription is completely gone, so explaining the process and treatment is very important.

Jaclyn: Thank you so much Dr. Yang! This gives our audience some things to think about and implement into everyday practice. 

Previous discussions with Dr. Rosa Yang: 
Pursuing a Contact Lens Residency: 

JACLYN CHANG, OD

Editor NewOptometrist.ca

Dr. Jaclyn Chang graduated from the University of Waterloo (UW) with an Honours Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences before continuing at Waterloo to complete her Doctor of Optometry degree. She is currently a practicing optometrist in Toronto.

Dr. Chang is committed to sharing information and bringing new resources to her colleagues. As a student, she sat on the Board of Trustees for the American Optometric Student Association, organizing events to connect students with industry. She was the Co-Founder/Co-President of the award-winning UW Advancement of Independent Optometry Club, the first club at UW dedicated to private practice optometry. Dr. Chang is also a passionate writer, who aims to make information accessible and easily digestible to her colleagues. She has published in Optometry & Vision Science and Foresight magazine and contributed to Optik magazine. She is excited to bring valuable resources to Canada’s next generation of optometrists with NewOptometrist.ca.

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Optometrists Needed Across Canada – Sublease Opportunities

Career Options, NextGenOD, Sponsors

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This is a sponsored post from BAILEY NELSON. 
At Bailey Nelson, it’s our mission to work with innovative and caring optometrists who ensure all patients enjoy a friendly, stress-free experience worth remembering.

We’re looking for passionate individuals who are highly invested in making a difference for their patients.
Is that you?

We make it easy to run your practice.
• A fully equipped exam room plus pretest equipment
• Online booking and recall systems
• EMR system
• Support staff for reception & pre-testing
• Onboarding, support and training
• Tools to optimize traffic and expand your clinic  

Eyecare the way it should be
Founded in Bondi Beach in 2012, Bailey Nelson has quickly grown into a global brand led by an incredible team with boutiques in Australia, London, Canada and New Zealand. Buying glasses should be one of life’s pleasures. And we’ve created a formula to make it one.

We start with a process that’s clever and honest. And we hire people who are passionate and genuine. It’s not rocket science. It’s just caring enough about what you’re doing to do it right.

Sound like a fit?
If this sounds like the perfect fit, we would love to hear from you!

Laurie Lesser, O.D.
Eyecare Director, Canada/UK
Phone: +1.236 412-9911, 954 401-2476
Email: laurie.lesser@baileynelson.com
Web: www.baileynelson.com

Click here to find more detailed information. 

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Zero to Five Pathfinder: Spotlight Courtney Fan, OD

NextGenOD, PathFinders

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NewOptometrist.ca puts the spotlight on Zero to Five Pathfinders

PathFinder Spotlight:

 

Courtney Fan, OD

Undergraduate Studies
University of Waterloo Biotechnology/Chartered Accountancy

Post Graduate
University of Waterloo Masters of Accounting

Optometry:
University of Waterloo – 2018 Graduating Class

Tell us about your education background. You have an interesting path to optometry.
I went to the University of Waterloo for my undergrad program in Biotechnology/Chartered Accountancy, which is a split co-op program. I learned both science as well as accounting at the same time.

I knew I wanted to go into healthcare, but I also wanted to try out other new things. The UW accounting program looked great.

And graduating from my Biotechnology/Chartered Accountancy Program, I did an extra year of Masters of Accounting at UW, just to finish all the accounting courses.

This also gave me the time to make sure that I wanted to go into optometry for sure.

Why was optometry appealing to you?
After shadowing multiple doctors, optometrists and other health care providers, I really felt like optometry was a great profession for me.

I wanted to have a work-life balance. And I thought that optometry was a great fit.

Let’s go back to your 4th year rotations. Tell us about them.
One of my rotations was in Salt Lake City, Utah. I was there for four months as part of my ocular disease, therapeutics rotation under Dr. Robert P. Wooldridge.

His clinic was built on a lot of glaucoma patients, dry eye, as well as macular degeneration. He worked with ophthalmologists as well. It was a really great experience.

I also worked in Sarnia and Mississauga.  One of my last rotations was in Kingston, Jamaica, where we did exams and worked with Marilyn Smith, Optician from UW. Marilyn hosted the entire program, and we were able to provide services to Jamaicans. It was a really great experience and a little bit different than some of the practices that I worked at in Ontario!

What about after graduating? Bring us up to date.
After graduation i moved to the small town of Tillsonburg in SW Ontario (near London) as a full-time associate optometrist at “Optometrists On Broadway”.

It’s been great ever since; the clinic is super busy. We have an OCT, fundus photo, visual fields, just to name a few of the available equipment. I can practice to the full extent that my Ontario optometry license allows.

After almost three years of working full time, and working through the pandemic, things are still pretty good. We get a lot of seniors, a lot of people who still want to be seen because they have eye issues. We have been keeping busy throughout the pandemic.

Have you been able to draw upon your clinical disease rotation experience now that you are in practice in Ontario?
Definitely. The practice in Utah was mainly focused on glaucoma patients. We did a lot of OCTs, photos and visual fields.

I learned a lot about how to best manage and treat patients, even though a lot of times the drugs were not the same, the concepts were all the same.

I was able to witness surgeries for the glaucoma patients and do a lot of the follow ups that an ophthalmologist would usually do in Ontario. In Utah I was able to see them firsthand.

The surgeon would have had the patient come back to our office the day after surgery, and we would see a lot of inflammation, things in the eyes that we normally wouldn’t see in a one week or a six-week post op follow up.

I definitely learned a lot through all of my rotations.

In what ways do you now have the freedom to do your own thing compared to your clinical rotations? How is it different? 
Yeah, there is a funny story. In Utah we were able to remove concretions in patients, and we always try to gain as much experience as possible. All the interns were fighting to get these experiences, but not everybody had a concretion, but we all tried to at least remove one.

Coming back to Ontario, I did not realize that we were not allowed to remove concretions. There was just a little bit of pushback in terms of the things that I could practice as an intern versus now.

On the other hand, I do have a lot more freedom to do things the way that I would like them to be done.

For example, back in my other rotations, my supervisor might follow up in six months or every year. If I feel uncomfortable leaving certain diseases, I can follow up more frequently.

I do have the freedom to see patients as often as I want to make sure that things are going as smoothly as I would like or as I have planned.

What specifically were you looking for in a Job? And did you find it?
Yeah, for sure.  I was looking for something that was full scope practice and gave me the freedom and autonomy to practice the way that I wanted to.

While I was job searching, I was mostly only looking for full time positions, so that I can follow up on my own patients and build a patient base. It was important for to find a full scope practice with all the technology that I would like.

Also, it was important for me to find a really positive working environment and have everybody was working together as a team.

What about your longer-term plans? Do you have any ideas of what type of practice you want to ideally be in? 
I’ve definitely thought a lot about owning my own practice.

My fiancé is also an optometrist, so it would be a dream for us to open our own practice and have that autonomy to do whatever we wanted and to practice the way that we think is best. We are thinking that it will be in the next five years.

Okay, that’s awesome. Let’s do some of the fun questions.
Honestly, I forget what I do for fun, because now that we’re just staying in all day. I’m thinking, “What did I do before with all my time?”

At the end of the day, I just want to relax and just give myself some alone time. After work I used to go to the gym every day, but now I just do a little light workout at home.

Recently, I started playing the guitar. My fiancé recently got me a guitar for my birthday, so I’ve been practicing.

I used to go skiing in the winter. In the summer I love to travel and spend a lot of time outdoors hiking.

It is important to make sure that we get enough vitamin D, because every working day we don’t get to see the sun too much in a dark room. I try to make sure that my lifestyle is healthy and active and balanced.

Is there any advice that you’d want to offer to new graduates? any insight you can offer into to help others?
I think one of the things that I want to tell new grads is  “Don’t lose your passion for what you love, and what you love to do.”

A lot of times we get caught up in our life just trying to make money, trying to pay back our student debt. But I think it is also important to remember what made you so excited to be an optometrist in the first place, what really excites you!

Okay, awesome. That’s really good advice. It was really nice to catch up in this way, because I didn’t know what you have been up to now that we are both busy working every day.

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Pursuing a CL Residency: A Conversation with Dr. Rosa Yang

NextGenOD, PathFinders

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Young Optometry residents in conversation

By Jaclyn Chang, OD

As graduates approach the final stretch of optometry school, the decision to spend an additional year immersed in a residency program might come into view for some near-to-be optometrists.

Dr. Rosa Yang

While a residency provides the advantage of specialized training in a unique clinical setting, it may also defer the process of landing a job or starting your own practice.

Dr. Rosa Yang graduated from the University of Waterloo School of Optometry in 2019.  She interned at various clinics in Canada and in the USA, including Houston Eye Associates in Texas, where she worked closely with ophthalmologists specializing in cataract, glaucoma, and corneal diseases.

Dr.Yang pursued a post-graduate residency program in Cornea and Contact Lenses at the University of Waterloo.

Dr. Jaclyn Chang discussed Dr. Yang’s residency experience.

Jaclyn:  I really admire anyone who has done a residency and I’ve never heard anyone say they regret doing one. Can you comment on the opportunity that residency provides? 

Rosa:  For sure! Residency gave me the platform to meet people and experience a variety of opportunities. I was able to connect with eyecare specialists not just in Canada, but on an international level. Some of them became my mentors and friends. Now, when I need help to tackle a difficult case, they are my go-to people.

I have always loved teaching and residency allowed me to TA in labs and provide clinical supervision for students. I got to write case report, oral presentations, and conference posters. Through the process of preparing for them, I feel like I became a stronger critical and independent thinker – these are important traits for a clinician to have. I also travelled to so many places to attend conferences – I think I flew to five difference places in half a year, imagine how many more places I could have gone to if COVID did not happen.

Overall, it is such an enriching year with memories that I will never forget!

Jaclyn: That’s awesome! How did you feel about jumping in and doing things that we didn’t necessarily have a lot of experience with? For example, teaching, being a clinical supervisor and presenting at conferences.

Rosa: Of course, I was nervous. I am the type of person who thinks I need to be 100% prepared and execute with perfection.  That is not how real life works. More often, you learn along the way, but only if you have a good attitude and put in the hard work. I feel extremely lucky and thankful of my residency mentors. They have always believed me even when I doubt myself. Their encouragements have meant a lot to me and I think have been monumental for my growth!

Jaclyn: Can you talk a little bit about why you decided to go into residency?

Rosa: In my fourth year, I worked with a corneal ophthalmologist. Many of his patients had dysfunctional lives because they had corneal diseases and saw very poorly. With surgeries, many of them saw vision improve, but I wondered “I don’t do surgeries, is there anything that I can do for these patients?” The surgeon often told his patients “I do surgeries, but there are these special contact lenses that will probably make your vision even better. I don’t do them, but I will send you to the right people.” The surgeon was referring to us – optometrists, and he reminded me that specialty contact lens is a niche thing that optometrists do.

Then, I was mentored by a specialty contact lens optometrist. We saw a patient who had keratoconus. He started out desperate and very hopeless – he was struggling with his vision and he was told by several doctors that the only option was corneal transplant. We told him about scleral lenses and I can never forget the change in his facial expression the moment he looked around the room after we inserted the lens. The change was a total 180. I thought, this is something I really want to do.

Jaclyn: It’s cool how people who we encounter throughout our school, especially our supervisors in fourth year, really influence us on where we want to go.

Thank you so much for your insight. It’s always great to learn more about residency and your experience is very encouraging to other prospective students. I can’t wait for you to share your expertise with us on how we can better incorporate specialty contact lenses into our practice with our next talk!

JACLYN CHANG, OD

Editor NewOptometrist.ca

Dr. Jaclyn Chang graduated from the University of Waterloo (UW) with an Honours Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences before continuing at Waterloo to complete her Doctor of Optometry degree. She is currently a practicing optometrist in Toronto.

Dr. Chang is committed to sharing information and bringing new resources to her colleagues. As a student, she sat on the Board of Trustees for the American Optometric Student Association, organizing events to connect students with industry. She was the Co-Founder/Co-President of the award-winning UW Advancement of Independent Optometry Club, the first club at UW dedicated to private practice optometry. Dr. Chang is also a passionate writer, who aims to make information accessible and easily digestible to her colleagues. She has published in Optometry & Vision Science and Foresight magazine and contributed to Optik magazine. She is excited to bring valuable resources to Canada’s next generation of optometrists with NewOptometrist.ca.

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